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Post by snsurone on Mar 30, 2019 22:48:43 GMT
This forgotten '70's film starred Walter Matthau in the title role and directed by his good friend Jack Lemmon.
Here, Matthau plays an elderly bachelor who adores children. Today, he would be labelled a pedophile. When I saw this movie in a theater, there were audible gasps from the audience during one scene where Kotch delivers a playful spank to a little girl in a bathing suit. I wish these people knew my uncle: this bastard always "playfully" spanked me when I was young! But I digress.
Kotch befriends a pregnant teenage girl who was abandoned by everyone who knew her. In fact, he even delivers her baby! Later, she decides to keep the kid; God knows how she would manage as a single mother in those days.
It's a pretty lousy movie in all, jumbled and disordered. While Jack Lemmon was one of my favorite actors, he really stunk as a director. The only thing that saves it at all is Matthau's superb performance.
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Post by teleadm on Mar 30, 2019 23:45:09 GMT
On the contrary I love this movie!
but yes Walter Matthau's make-up is very make-up, but his acting makes up for it.
Having had old parents, even explaining a spoon and it's use for an hour, I can relate to the subject, Matthau's character, it's the last year when his brain functions before dementia, so it's one last spree.
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KOTCH
Mar 31, 2019 0:31:31 GMT
Post by bravomailer on Mar 31, 2019 0:31:31 GMT
Just this afternoon I thought of the term used in Kotch for a nursing home - "laughing academy". Haven't seen it in 47 years but the phrase stuck with me. Worth seeing again.
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Post by geode on Apr 1, 2019 19:08:22 GMT
This forgotten '70's film starred Walter Matthau in the title role and directed by his good friend Jack Lemmon. Here, Matthau plays an elderly bachelor who adores children. Today, he would be labelled a pedophile. When I saw this movie in a theater, there were audible gasps from the audience during one scene where Kotch delivers a playful spank to a little girl in a bathing suit. I wish these people knew my uncle: this bastard always "playfully" spanked me when I was young! But I digress. Kotch befriends a pregnant teenage girl who was abandoned by everyone who knew her. In fact, he even delivers her baby! Later, she decides to keep the kid; God knows how she would manage as a single mother in those days. It's a pretty lousy movie in all, jumbled and disordered. While Jack Lemmon was one of my favorite actors, he really stunk as a director. The only thing that saves it at all is Matthau's superb performance. It is an excellent movie that is deftly directed. I always wondered why Jack Lemmon never directed again when he had done such a superb job doing this one. This has my favorite performance ever given by Matthau, but the rest of the cast is also good. He technically is not a bachelor, he is a widower, and the montage showing the burial of his wife is simple but elegant. The scene with the ink blot test is brilliant.
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Post by BATouttaheck on Apr 1, 2019 23:06:19 GMT
It is an excellent movie that is deftly directed. I always wondered why Jack Lemmon never directed again when he had done such a superb job doing this one. This has my favorite performance ever given by Matthau... He technically is not a bachelor, he is a widower, and the montage showing the burial of his wife is simple but elegant....
I found this on the Kotch IMDb page about Director Lemmon "Directorial debut for Jack Lemmon. Lemmon found direction duties both emotionally and physically draining and felt very uncomfortable behind the camera. This was his one and only film as a director."
Also found several reviews by viewers … many in the 9/10 and 10/10 range www.imdb.com/title/tt0067314/reviews?ref_=tt_ql_3
Am glad that you brought up the question of Kotch's bachelorhood. He had a son, a daughter-in-law, grandchildren and a funeral for his wife. All of them important story elements.
Matthau received a Best Lead Actor Nomination for his role.
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KOTCH
Apr 2, 2019 0:40:03 GMT
Post by snsurone on Apr 2, 2019 0:40:03 GMT
He probably never directed again because this movie was such a flop!
BTW, at the time of its release, NYC's mayoe was Ed Koch. When questioned about who could play Koch if a movie was made about him, the overwhelming responses from citizens was Frank Perdue, the Chicken King! Indeed, there was a clear resemblance between the two men. It's a pity that no movie was ever made with Perdue acting as the mayor. Bet it would have been hilarious! LOL.
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Post by bravomailer on Apr 2, 2019 3:55:31 GMT
BTW, at the time of its release, NYC's mayor was Ed Koch. John Lindsay was mayor at the time.
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Post by geode on Apr 2, 2019 8:25:54 GMT
He probably never directed again because this movie was such a flop! BTW, at the time of its release, NYC's mayoe was Ed Koch. When questioned about who could play Koch if a movie was made about him, the overwhelming responses from citizens was Frank Perdue, the Chicken King! Indeed, there was a clear resemblance between the two men. It's a pity that no movie was ever made with Perdue acting as the mayor. Bet it would have been hilarious! LOL. It was not a flop. It played for a few weeks at the theater in which I worked at the time as a projectionist. Flops were gone in a week or two. Although not a hit it made a profit. "The film earned rentals of $3.6 million in North America and $1.4 million in other countries. It recorded an overall profit of $330,000." As cited by Variety. As someone has already pointed out, Koch was not the mayor of NYC when "Kotch" was released, and would take office over six years after the film's release.
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KOTCH
Apr 2, 2019 8:41:52 GMT
Post by geode on Apr 2, 2019 8:41:52 GMT
It is an excellent movie that is deftly directed. I always wondered why Jack Lemmon never directed again when he had done such a superb job doing this one. This has my favorite performance ever given by Matthau... He technically is not a bachelor, he is a widower, and the montage showing the burial of his wife is simple but elegant....
I found this on the Kotch IMDb page about Director Lemmon "Directorial debut for Jack Lemmon. Lemmon found direction duties both emotionally and physically draining and felt very uncomfortable behind the camera. This was his one and only film as a director."
Also found several reviews by viewers … many in the 9/10 and 10/10 range www.imdb.com/title/tt0067314/reviews?ref_=tt_ql_3
Am glad that you brought up the question of Kotch's bachelorhood. He had a son, a daughter-in-law, grandchildren and a funeral for his wife. All of them important story elements.
Matthau received a Best Lead Actor Nomination for his role. I wish that the trivia entry about Lemmon as a director gave a reference. I actually searched years ago to see if he ever gave reasons for not directing again and couldn't find anything. As I said, I think he did a fine job as a director, and the resulting film is very good. I rated all the films I could think of when I registered at the IMDb almost 20 years ago. I gave "Kotch" a 9/10. When it was released I listened to an interview with Walter Matthau on the radio. The interviewer asked him what it was like to play an old man. The reply was, "I am old!" I have a vitreous floater and some grey hair." I chuckled as I had vitreous floaters from the time I was about 5 years old. I was 20 at that time.
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KOTCH
Apr 2, 2019 11:37:31 GMT
Post by snsurone on Apr 2, 2019 11:37:31 GMT
OK, OK!
You can stop throwing rocks at me!
I understand that many of you like this movie; I just don't (except for Matthau). As I only saw it once, my memory of details is very faulty, as is my memory of NYC's mayors. LOL
But admit it, fellow New Yorkers--wouldn't it have been a laugh if Frank Perdue played Ed Koch in a film or TV show??
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KOTCH
Apr 2, 2019 12:22:37 GMT
Post by BATouttaheck on Apr 2, 2019 12:22:37 GMT
More on Matthau as an old man Walter Matthau was 50 at the time of filming. The actor playing his son (Charles Aidman) was 45.
Kotch star Walter Matthau's real-life step-daughter actress Lucy Saroyan played Sissy. Lack Lemmon's wife, Felicia Farr played daughter-in law Wilma. The film was also Academy Nominated for Sound, Editing and song. Gotta love that trivia section. eh ? geode
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KOTCH
Apr 2, 2019 12:23:22 GMT
Post by BATouttaheck on Apr 2, 2019 12:23:22 GMT
Director and lead actor conferring
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KOTCH
Apr 2, 2019 12:24:40 GMT
Post by BATouttaheck on Apr 2, 2019 12:24:40 GMT
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KOTCH
Apr 2, 2019 12:26:34 GMT
Post by BATouttaheck on Apr 2, 2019 12:26:34 GMT
Directing 'Wilma' played by Lemmon's wife, Felicia Farr Shall look more into the director aspect and report back if I find anything geode
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KOTCH
Apr 2, 2019 12:28:59 GMT
Post by BATouttaheck on Apr 2, 2019 12:28:59 GMT
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KOTCH
Apr 2, 2019 13:26:09 GMT
Post by BATouttaheck on Apr 2, 2019 13:26:09 GMT
OT a bit but related, this article about Lemmon from The Guardian mentions Kotch (twice ) www.theguardian.com/news/2001/jun/29/guardianobituaries.filmnews2"During the early 1970s, Lemmon's run of good fortune continued. His only directorial effort, Kotch, was widely praised," "He also directed one feature, Kotch (1971), starring Matthau, and, via his own company, Jalem, co-produced many of his own movies, as well as the highly successful Cool Hand Luke (1967), starring Paul Newman" Never even knew he was a movie Producer as well as an actor
Some actors try directing and simply don't find it a good fit ...for instance Laughton and Brando also were one time directors. geode.
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Post by geode on Apr 3, 2019 8:09:31 GMT
OT a bit but related, this article about Lemmon from The Guardian mentions Kotch (twice ) www.theguardian.com/news/2001/jun/29/guardianobituaries.filmnews2"During the early 1970s, Lemmon's run of good fortune continued. His only directorial effort, Kotch, was widely praised," "He also directed one feature, Kotch (1971), starring Matthau, and, via his own company, Jalem, co-produced many of his own movies, as well as the highly successful Cool Hand Luke (1967), starring Paul Newman" Never even knew he was a movie Producer as well as an actor
Some actors try directing and simply don't find it a good fit ...for instance Laughton and Brando also were one time directors. geode . Thanks for running this info down. I have kept my eyes open since 1971 about Jack Lemmon as a director and seen very little. I wonder if the trivia entry at IMDb is just conjecture? Yes, Laughton only did it once but look how good he was at it. I think his direction is almost universally praised. Brando sort of did more than one, I think a large portion of "Mutiny on the Bounty" was directed by him....rather poorly in my opinion. Lemmon's approach to "Kotch" was not showy or intrusive, but effective in a straight-foward manner. He apparently was very good with actors, I don't think there is a false note in any of the performances.
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KOTCH
Apr 3, 2019 10:41:36 GMT
Post by snsurone on Apr 3, 2019 10:41:36 GMT
Yes, Laughton directed THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER, but did you know that he had his friend Bob Mitchum direct the scenes involving the two youngsters?
Laughton LOATHED kids! And to think he was nearly cast as McCawber in 1935's DAVID COPPERFIELD!
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KOTCH
Apr 3, 2019 13:40:05 GMT
Post by BATouttaheck on Apr 3, 2019 13:40:05 GMT
If anyone else had been the OP on this thread, this statement would be challenged and so ...
Kotch dotes on his grandchild. HOW does this make him a pedophile ?
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KOTCH
Apr 3, 2019 13:52:07 GMT
Post by BATouttaheck on Apr 3, 2019 13:52:07 GMT
geodeI wonder if there were enough "one time only" actors turned directors to make a new thread.... might be interesting. More re: Laughton In 1955, Laughton made his directorial debut on the big screen with The Night of the Hunter (1955), which starred Robert Mitchum and Shelley Winters. Although the film was a critical and box-office flop, it has since been cited by many as one of the greatest films of the 1950s by many critics. It has also been selected for preservation by the National Film Registry. Robert Mitchum once stated that Laughton was the best director he had ever worked for, ironic in that Laughton never directed another movie after The Night of the Hunter (1955) with Mitchum.
Although he directed only one film, The Night of the Hunter (1955), Laughton was a prolific stage director, staging the original Broadway productions of George Bernard Shaw's "Don Juan in Hell" (in which he also appeared), Herman Wouk's "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial" and Stephen Vincent Benet's "John Brown's Body".
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